Eternal Bonds
Synopsis Xena and Gabrielle, on their horses (and baby on board), race across the desert. Thunder and lightning crash around them. A tornado follows them. A hooded figure points out a direction. They race into the woods. Lightening hits a tree, and fire falls all around them. They urge the horses through the flames. The tornado follows them. They hurry into a cave. Gabrielle says the gods are scared because they are fighting for their lives. They hear a sound. Joxer comes out of the back of the cave. He says he has been looking for them ever since he heard the baby was born. He also has some friends with him, three Magi, who have come bearing gifts for the baby. They have been following a light, searching for Xena. They kneel. They say Xena's child ushers in a new world. They want to give gifts. Xena says it would be rude not to accept them. One gives grain to nourish life. Another gives fruit to sweeten her days. The last gives oil from the sacred laurel. Xena says that laurel is sacred to Artemis, and she kicks the vial out of the woman's hand. The three Magi pull their swords and say the child must die. Fighting ensues. Gabrielle does most of the fighting, Joxer makes an effort. Xena slits the woman's throat with her chakram. Joxer gets his arm cut. Xena tells Gabrielle to take Joxer outside and clean his wound. After she is alone, Xena says she smells a rat. Ares appears. He says the Magi were priests of Artemis, Poseidon, and Apollo. Xena runs to Joxer. Joxer and Gabrielle at the stream, talk. One of them says everything is a surprise. They argue a little bit. Gabrielle says Eve has to be taken into consideration. Gabrielle tells Joxer he doesn't think, and that she doesn't need his help. Xena comes up and looks at Joxer's wound. She says if it was Apollo's sword that cut Joxer, then Joxer has been poisoned and needs an antidote, the oil of a mandrake tree at the North end of the valley. Joxer says he hasn't been poisoned, and walks off. Xena and Gabrielle argue about Gabrielle taking Joxer to the tree. Gabrielle doesn't want to leave Xena and Eve alone. Priests kill a man and look at the worms in his heart. They realize their Magi failed and now they have to send armies out to kill Xena and her spawn. Gabrielle and Joxer leave on the horses. Xena tells Eve it's just the two of them, now. Gabrielle and Joxer ride off. Gabrielle says she is worried about Xena and Eve. Xena sings to Eve as she breastfeeds. Someone sneaks up behind Xena and Eve. Xena grabs her chakram and fights. The Xena theme plays. When the fighting is over, Xena notices that Eve got a little blood on her. Ares shows up and says "baptism by blood." Xena mentions Ares' appearance to her in Tartarus and how Ares thinks he loves her. Ares says he is dying. He says he'll fight against the bad guys to be beside Xena. Joxer and Gabrielle work on Joxer's cut arm, which is getting worse. Joxer says Xena can take care of herself. At some point in the conversation, Gabrielle says of herself that she can be a real bitch sometimes. It is night. Xena kisses Eve. Ares shows up. Xena punches him and tells him to stay away. Xena recalls all of the ways Ares has hurt her. He says he wants Xena back. But it's all changed. Ares says he has a short span of time and then he is gone. He asks Xena to forgive him. He wants to be with Xena. Someone attacks, trying to kill Eve. Ares and Xena both go after the guy. Ares says he'd sooner die in Xena's arms than live without her. They kiss. Xena wakes up. It was a dream. She checks the baby. Gabrielle and Joxer take a break from riding. Joxer won't wake up. He finally does wake up. Gabrielle helps him up so they can ride off. They come upon a band of women (Amazons?). One of them orders Gabrielle and Joxer killed. They are trespassing in the sacred woods of Artemis. One of them comments on Joxer's illness. Joxer says they were attacked by a woman with a baby. Gabrielle says they are on their way to worship Artemis. The women (Amazons?) let them go. Xena walks, creating a false trail, and remembers her dreams and tries to sort things out. She keeps remembering Ares making love to her. She has the woollies about it. Joxer and Gabrielle keep moving. Joxer tells Gabrielle she's beautiful. Joxer falls off the horse. Joxer is burning up with fever. Gabrielle goes to fill up the water bottles. Warriors find Xena's false trail and begin following it. Gabrielle sees warriors going in search of Xena. Xena reaches the mandrake tree and finds Gabrielle and Joxer are not there. She climbs the tree. The warriors realize that Xena has turned and changed directions. They realize she is heading for the mandrake tree. Ares watches. Xena, up in the tree, sees the warriors coming after her. Ares comes to Xena, and tells her he'll fight beside Xena, and be a father to Eve, if Xena will give him a child. Xena says he is a conniving bastard. He says every god on Mt. Olympus is after Xena, but he'll help her. Xena says she won't give up her future. Ares says that could mean the lives of Joxer, Gabrielle, or Eve. The armies march. Ares vanishes. Eve cries. Xena comforts her. Gabrielle goes back to find Joxer hiding in a log. She gives him water. She tries to help him up, but can't. He tells her to go ahead. Gabrielle says she isn't leaving him. They argue about who is thinking about the people they love. Gabrielle says she is. Xena looks for a signal from Gabrielle. She finally sees one of Gabrielle's scrolls flying like a kite up in the air. Joxer yells for Gabrielle as he wakes from fever. Gabrielle holds Joxer. Joxer asks Gabrielle why there was "never an us." Joxer says Gabrielle makes him feel special. Gabrielle says he is special. She says she relies on him as a very good friend. Gabrielle says she does love him, just not like he wants. Xena shows up. Two spears fly through the air at them. Xena catches them. The armies all converge and bear down on Xena. Xena throws the spears into people. Xena and Gabrielle fight. Eve, on Xena's back, cries. Xena fights. Suddenly everyone freezes in place and no one can move but Xena. Ares shows up. He tells Xena the with one word, all the armies will go away. Ares says give me a child, I swear I would never harm it. Xena remember her dream. She tells Ares he is her worst nightmare. Ares wakes everyone up again and he vanishes. Xena ties a rope around Eve and hoists her up in a tree. More fighting with Xena and Gabrielle. A guy on a horse spies the baby in the tree, as do several other army leaders, and they all go for the baby. Xena jumps up to get Eve but Ares does a somersault and gets the baby. He and Xena look at each other. He lets the baby go, letting the rope pull the child back into the tree. Xena chakrams several people, including all the army leaders. Xena retrieves the baby. Eve cries. Xena takes the antidote to Joxer. Eve has blood on her again. Xena, Gabrielle and Joxer lead the horses. Joxer and Gabrielle talk about how Gabrielle loves Joxer as a friend. He says he loves her more than that, but he'll just have to live with it. Xena calls Gabrielle over. They walk together. Xena wonders if it is wrong to expose a child to all the blood. Xena says it would be a greater wrong to never fight at all. Xena, Gabrielle and Eve, with Joxer trailing behind, walk off into the sunset. Memorable quotes Cast * Natalie Duggan (Artemis' Priestess Tira) * Peter Sa'ena-Brown (Apollo's Priest Tazor) * Matthew Dwyer (Poseidon's Priest Orcas * Patrick Iwobi (Magi 1) * Grant Boucher (Magi 2) * Barbara Cartwright (Magi 3) GUEST STARS * Kevin Smith (Ares) * Ted Raimi (Joxer) Background information and notes Continuity and mistakes Disclaimer